Differential mechanism.



E, N. LEWIS.

DIFFERENTIAL ISIEC-HTNSML A PPLCATION HLED MAR. 23.1916. 1925399818,Patent@ Jian. 2&1915

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

E M. LEWIS, OIE' CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

DIFFERENTML MEGHANSM.

Speclcation of Letters Patent.

Patentes aan. es., 1919.,

Application tiled March 28, 1916. Serial No. 88,068.

f To all 'zb/tom it may concern Be it known that I, FRANK M. LEWIS, acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in thecounty of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Diierential Mechanism, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to improvements in differential mechanism, and theobjects of my improvement are, an improved structure of the classwhereby power is taken by the driving wheel which offers the greaterresistance to rotation, and the consequent distribution of tractiveeilort in accordance with the road grip of each driving vehicle wheel;second, to obviate the tendency, in compensating devices, of the easierturning vehicle wheel to absorb and waste the power; third, to afford aconstruction suitable for replacing other types oi compensatingmechanism; and, further, the production of positive driving means forboth driving wheels adapted to instantly disengage from the source ofpower, run independently and promptly rengage with the source and give apositive two-wheel drive when the speeds of the driving wheels areequal.

Uthcr objects of my invention will he apparent from a consideration ofthe following description and claims, in connection with the drawings,in which# Figure 1 is a longitudinal central section of my diiferentialgear disposed at the meeting ends of the two part axle or shaft of anautomobile Fig. 2 is a perspective view of' a shiltablre member.

Fig. 3 is a section on line 3--3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4: is a plan view ofthe Ioperative parts I in power transmitting of both vehicle wheels.

'source of Fig. 5 is a similar view with the left wheel in i owertransmitting engagement and the rig t vehicle wheel disengaged from theower and rotating independently.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of a modiied form of the operating parts indriving position, and

' Fig. 7 is a similar view of the parts with one part in position to runindependently.

Similar numerals and letters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views.

Tn the embodiment chosen to illustratemy invention, A denotes anon-rotatable housing of areal' axle of an automobile having a roirst,the provision ofY tatable housing B which incloses dilerential gearingat the meetin ends of a two-part axle or shaft. The di Ierential gearingcom prises driven parts 10, ,1,1 keyed to the aXle or shaft parts 12,13, at 14:, 15, each having bevel gear teeth 16 of any suitable orpreferred dimensions. In the case of replacement with my improvement thefixed driven parts are retained, but when installed originally ably madeof the size of the cooperating at the factory the teeth 16 are prefer- 4teeth 17 on the shiftable members 18 and 19,

which are alike and a description of one is a description of bothshiftable members.

The member 18 has cam recesses 20 providing cam faces 2Oa 20b formed inthe inner wall thereof; also an elongated recess 21 and carries a pin 22projecting laterally. Resilient members 23 are suitably secured inconcentric grooves 2l in one wall of said member. The shiftable member19 1s s1m1' larly Jformed with teeth 17, on the outer face and camrecesses 20 in the inner face, and concentric grooves 25 and elongatedrecess 26 and pin 27.

A driver or spider 28 is disposed between the two shiftable members 18,19, and is formed with trunnions or studs 29 suitable to be inserted inthe stud openings 30 in the rotatable housing B.

rl`he chief function of the resilient members 23 is to constantly urgeoutwardly and into operative engagement the respective members 18, 19,with the respective fixed diciven parts 10, 11.

The principal function of the recesses 21, 26 and pins 22, 27 is tolimit relative rotative movement of the shiftable members 18, 19, andpermit movement of the one toward or 'from the other.

lido not limit my invention to the employment of the exact constructionof resilient members 23, as obviously other means may be used to urgeapart the members 18, 19.

ln Figs. 6 and 7 l have shown a moditied form of means to urge outwardlythe 'loo In operation, power is transmitted from the pinion 3e to thegear 35 which `is secured at 36 to the rotatable housing B which carriesthe trunnions or studs 29 thereby through the action of the studs 28 onthe cani sides 20 or 20b of the recesses 20' forcing outwardly theshiftable members 18, 19 and into power transmitting engagement with thefixed parts l0, ll, and imparting running or spinning of said wheel bythe motor when the opposite or slower running wheel is connected to itsdriving element, and thus insures the application oi' the entire powerof the motor to the slower running wheel.

The spider or driver having a plurality of arms between and opera-tingagainst cam faces formed in the adjacent walls of shiftable members isan important feature of my invention. This construction makes possiblethe employment of my improvement in ,the smaller automobiles in whichthe differential mechanism space is limited.

lt will be understood that changes, variations and modiiications in thedetails of the invention within the scope of the claims may be resortedto without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of theadvantages thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters latent, is:

l. In differential mechanism, the combination oit a rotatable housing,axle sections entered within the opposite ends of said housing, fdrivenmembers fast on said axle sections.' Shiftable members between saiddriven members each having clutch teeth on Vits outer side and aplurality ot cam recesses in its inner side, and a driver bctween saidshiftable members haviim` radial studs disposed between matingrecessesot said shiftable members and at their outer ends secured in saidhousing.

2. In diiiierential mechanism. the combination o/a rotatable housing,axle 'sections entered within the opposite ends of .3 ld housing. drivenmembers fast on said axle sections shiftable members between saiddriven' members each having clutch teeth on 4its outer side and apluralitj if cam recesses in its inner side. a driver between saidshiit'table members havingf radial studs disposed between. mating;recesses Vof said shiftable members and at their outer ends secured insaid housing', and resilient means positioned between said shiftablemembers and constantly urging them apart.y

3. In diierential mechanism, itl/ie combi-v nation of a plurality otshiftable members each having clutch teeth on one side and a pluralityof cam-recesses on the other side1 rotatable means disposed in thecam-recesses and between the shiitable members to force them apart, bothof the shiftable members having concentric grooves in their opposingfaces, and resilient means positioned in the groove of the one the freeends of which are adapted to travel in the groove of the other. v

e. In diiierential mechanism, the combin nation of a plurality ofshiftable members each having clutch teeth on one side and a pluralityof cam-recesses on the other side, rotatable means disposed in thecam-recesses and between the shiftable members to force them apart,means positioned between the shiitable members to independentlyw andconstantly urge said iftable members apart, the shiftable mem eershaving irf their opposing faces an elongated recess and a pinrespectively to limit the extent of relative rotative movement of theshiftable mem bers an()` to permit movement toward and from each other.

5. In diilerential mechanism, the combi! housing, driven `gears fast onsaid axle see-` tions, shiftable members between said driven gears eachhaving clutch teeth on its outer side and a plurality of uniformlyspaced cam recesses in its inner side., and a driver between saidshi'ftable members having a hub surrounding the inner ends of said axlesections and radial studs disposed between mating recesses of saidshiftable members and at their outer ends secured in said housing". i

6. ln differential mechanism, the combination of a rotatable housing,axle sections entered within the opposite ends of said housing, drivengears fast on said' axle sections, shiftable members between said drivengears each having; clutch teeth on its outer side and a plurality ofuniformly spaced cam recesses in its inner side. a driver between saidshiitable members .having a hub surrounding the inner :ends of said axlesections and radial studsI disposed between'mating recesses of saidshilftable members. and attheir outer ends secured in said housing', andmeans for limiting relative rotary movement of said shiftable members.

'i'. In diderential mechanisim" the combination of a rotatable housing,arie sections entered within the .opposite ends et said" 1,2o2,s is

' of'. said. shifteble members, and resilient .means constantly urgingseid shiftable mem;

bers into exgagement with said driven gears.

8. In di A A nation of a; plurality of shiftable members 10 each havingclutch teeth on one side, and e plurality of eem-recesses on the otherside,

'a two part axle or shaft, driven parts fixed to the adjacent 'ends ofthe two part axle or shaft for operative engegement with the erentialmechanism, theeombirespective shiftable members; resilient meansvpositioned between the shifteble members to constantly urge themVspart, means to limit relative rotative movement of the shitablemembers, a driver disposed in the camrecesses and between the shiftablemembers and a rotatable housing in operative relation with said driver.

In testimony whereof l aiiix my signature in the presence of twowitnesses.

FRANK M. LEWIS. Witnesses C. RICHARD Bnr'rs,

Scorr M. HoGAN.

